Speaking ahead of this week’s party conference, Ms Davidson reminded those of her front bench unhappy with her performance that she is leader of the entire Scottish party and not just the 15 MSPs.

She admitted to be annoyed by the criticism, saying it ignored the fact that the Tories “have got our tails up” because of the fight against Scottish independence.

However, she promised to “work hard” to improve her performances at First Minister’s Questions, one of the major sources of internal dissatisfaction at her leadership.

Ms Davidson gave interviews to a series of Sunday newspapers after the Daily Telegraph disclosed deep disillusionment among the Scottish Tory front bench at Holyrood about Ms Davidson, who became leader in November 2011.

This newspaper reported on Saturday that some are also unhappy that she has prevented a specific debate at this week’s Stirling conference about her recent announcement the party will support devolving more powers to Holyrood.

The 32-yea-old was elected leader promising to draw a constitutional “line in the sand” and reintroducing “proper” debates on party policy at conference.

But Ms Davidson said David Cameron, who will deliver a keynote speech at the conference, was “on board” with her plan for greater devolution if voters reject separation at next year’s referendum.

“You don’t turn around years of decline and stagnation overnight. It’s a long haul and these are the months and years where we need to put in the hard yards,” she said.

“We are making huge strides going forward, getting the party ready in terms of being a campaigning force, in terms of working out the policy base. We are already beginning to make progress.”

She said the Scottish Tories had been “too apologetic” about their history and called for “no more naval gazing and no more sackcloth and ashes.”

Her internal critics have been horrified at some of her recent performances at First Minister’s Questions, particularly a decision to ask about a separate Scotland’s EU status at a time when the Conservatives were tearing themselves apart over Europe.

Alex Salmond made hay as SNP backbenchers laughed and jeered, but Ms Davidson said it was difficult to score points because of the way the exchanges were organised.

She said she was “frustrated” she only gets two questions, compared to Johann Lamont’s four, and that the First Minister “refuses pretty much to answer any question at all.”

“I will continue to work hard and continue to improve, I hope, as I go forward in this role,” she said.

However, she issued a veiled warning to some of her MSPs that she is looking for “new blood” and a “much more stringent selection” process for Westminster and Holyrood candidates.

The Tory leader said the biggest hope for revitalising the party is the Conservative Friends of the Union initiative against independence, to which more than 60,000 people have signed up.

“These are people outwith the Conservative family who want to fight with us. It is extraordinarily successful and maybe this is the first step to getting them back,” she said.